Alex de Minaur slaps down ugly claims after 19-year first for Aussie ...
Alex de Minaur has become the first Aussie male tennis player in 19 years to reach the round of 16 in four consecutive grand slams as he looks to emulate another Lleyton Hewitt feat at Wimbledon. De Minaur enjoyed a walkover in his third round match against Frenchman Lucas Pouille at SW19.
The walkover allowed de Minaur an extended break between matches as his young talented opponent Arthur Fils played a five-set marathon. De Minaur will be well rested having won his first two matches in straight sets.
Alex de Minaur (pictured) is looking to join an elite group of Aussie tennis icons having already emulated a stunning Lleyton Hewitt (pictured right) feat. (Getty Images)
And after the walkover, the 25-year-old has enjoyed a rare four-day break at Wimbledon to prepare for his match against Fils on Monday. And while he is facing the supremely talented French prodigy, de Minaur has dismissed the claims a four-day break will work against him.
De Minaur has been one of the most active players on tour in 2024 having registered 47 matches already this year with 34 wins. Instead, de Minaur has assured fans he has used the time to prepare for Fils having already played enough matches this year.
"For me, I never really worry about how many matches or how many tennis balls I've hit. I don't lack in that regard," he said. "I've played enough matches throughout the year, and even on the grass. So I don't feel much, one way or the other.
"Obviously, you always want to play but sometimes you get dealt these cards, and the gap between matches means I just get a couple of practice days to get ready for my next one."
And a win against Fils could see de Minaur join an elite group of Aussie tennis icons. Only six Australians have ever been ranked World No.6 or higher. The last to do so was Lleyton Hewitt, alongside John Newcombe and Patrick Rafter who all reached World No.1. Ken Rosewall (World No.2), Rod Laver (World No.3) and Pat Cash (World No.4) all achieved the feat.
To make matters more impressive for de Minaur. He has become the first male Aussie in 19 years to reach the round of 16 in his last four grand slams. Hewitt achieved the feat between 2003 and 2005. De Minaur's incredible consistency has seen him rise up the rankings in 2024 and a win against Fils could put him in that illustrious group of Aussie icons.
Alex De Minaur (pictured) could move to World No.6 with a win over Arthur Fils at Wimbledon.
However, de Minaur has remained grounded heading into his clash against the French prodigy. Fils defeated de Minaur at the Barcelona Open on clay only a few weeks ago. While de Minaur's game is more suited to the grass court, the 25-year-old is aware of the power Fils possesses at Wimbledon.
"Fils, he's coming with a lot of confidence, obviously beating Hubie which is a very good one on the surface," de Minaur added,. "He's got a big game. Big groundstrokes. In previous years, I probably wouldn't have thought he would have enjoyed the grass as much, but he's obviously enjoying it and feeling comfortable on it.
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"So he's going to be very tricky. He's got a great serve as well, an overall great athlete." And Fils was also complimentary of de Minaur's talents on grass. "We played on clay last time, so it's completely different. He's one of the best on the surface for sure," said the Parisian.
"He's one of the fastest guys I know. He's so quick it's like if I want to hit one winner, I will have to hit three winners against him. Everyone knows he's fast, but he is also super clever on the court. He's been doing unbelievable since the start of the year, so it's not going to be easy."
